Rick G. Thayer

Rickey G. Thayer- dedicated husband and father, passed away at home on December 20, 2022 after a courageous battle with cancer.
Rick was born on February 20, 1960 in Dallas, Texas. However, he spent most of his early childhood in Old Orchard Beach and later lived in Kittery, ME, where he graduated from R.W. Traip Academy in 1978. Rick is predeceased by his mother, Marion (Prosser) Thayer. He is survived by his loving wife; Jennifer (Slocum) Thayer of Kittery, ME, his two children; daughter Alexandria Thayer-Berounsky and her husband Brian Berounsky of Eliot, ME and son Nathan Thayer of South Berwick, ME; Brothers David Thayer and Russell Thayer, and sisters Lori (Thayer) Collin, Donna (Deweese) Dixon, and Julie (Landman) Shampay and by his father David A. Thayer. He is also survived by many extended family members that included aunts and uncles, in-laws, nieces, nephews and cousins.
Rick married the love of his life, Jennifer Thayer on November 7, 1992, and soon after they had their first child, Alexandria Thayer. In 1995, they welcomed their second child, Nathan Thayer. Rick and Jen moved to Kittery in 1997 and raised their family. They became active and well-known members in the Kittery community.
Rick worked for the Carpenter's Union out of Newton Mass #275 from 1983 until 1996. He worked on numerous famous buildings from Boston to Portland. From there, Rick started his own company, Rick Thayer Home Repair and Carpentry. Its popularity grew quickly due to his incredible carpentry talent and craftsmanship. Rick was a dedicated and hardworking individual. He would often take on custom projects and strived to provide the highest levels of customer service. For many years Rick also worked as the Assistant Facilities Director at the Kittery school Department before returning to working for himself. Rick was often found in his garage, surrounded by his tools and sawdust, working on new projects. He enjoyed making classic bird houses, exquisite cutting boards and charcuterie boards, shelves, and much more.
Rick was very proud of his Native American culture. He and his family were active in traditional culture including frequent attendance and sound engineering at Pow-Wows and sweat lodges. Some of his closest friends were those from the Native American community. Rick truly lived his belief that the earth should be cherished and not taken for granted.
Rick also had a lifelong love for music, he was a guitarist and vocalist. He and his wife formed a duo in their younger years called Joint at the Hip. This eventually grew into a full piece original band called Naked Groove. From there, they went on to form The Jen Thayer band, a locally popular cover band in the Seacoast region. Rick was happy on stage, with his guitar in hand and wife by his side surrounded by many friends. When visiting their home, guest were frequently treated to a spontaneous performance with beautiful music and vocals in their welcoming back yard.
Rick's other hobbies included gardening, camping with his family, writing music, and going to concerts. He loved boating and striper fishing with his daughter and her husband. Rick and Jen spent hours in the summer exploring the Seacoast on their scooters. Many days were spent in his back yard grilling and swimming in the pool. Most of all, Rick loved his family with all his heart, and he truly cherished the times he had with them.
Friends and family are invited to his memorial at JS Pelkey and Son Funeral Home on January 14, 2023 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Music Maker Foundation. https://musicmaker.org
There will be a Celebration of Life to follow in the summer of 2023.